Monday, April 13, 2015

Top 5 Foundations for Women with Darker Skin Tone in Malaysia

Top 5 Foundations for Women with Darker Skin Tone in Malaysia

Recently I reviewed some LAKMÉ foundation (here), which just reminded me of my struggle in finding shades that perfectly match my dark skin. I have been living in Malaysia for almost 5 years now and going shopping for foundation is always a pain on my behind. So here I some brands that make this struggle ever slightly less painful.

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1.Revlon Foundation

This is about the only drug store brand I have found here that has a shade that’s close to my skin tone. Mind you it comes close but does not match entirely. Revlon’s foundation in Caramel has been my go to foundation since it doesn’t leave any holes in my student loan riddled pockets! The down side being there is only one shade for dark skin and it runs out quiet fast and hard to find.

2.M.A.C Foundation

First let me vent a bit….Dear MAC employees…..NOT all dark skinned girls are the same shade. STOP NC45ing us! Ok that out, they have a large variety of shades that reallycomplement dark skin. The trick is to choose a foundation which matches your undertones. You have your NC(Neutral Cool) range which is for coolyellow undertones then the NW(Neutral Warm) range for warmred/ pink undertones (yeah, MAC has their own upside down explanations for NC & NW). My advice when going to a MAC store for the first time, YouTube and read blogs of ladies who have the same shade as you, otherwise my dear you will walk out with an NC45 bottle that won’t match your skin and RM150 lost!

Minimum Price: RM 129.00 / $ 35.14Where to buy: M.A.C stores

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3.Bobbi Brown Foundation

Another acid to my wallet! It’s just a bit more expensive than the rest but they are one brand that’s dark skin friendly. Personally Bobbi Brown tends to break me out so I don’t use it that much.

Minimum Price: RM 223 / $ 63.46Where to buy: Bobbi Brown stores

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4.Smashbox Foundation

I like Smashbox foundations because they are really long wearing. If you want picture perfect photos for your Instagram and are into filming videos then I would highly recommend Smashbox. One other product worth mentioning about Smashbox is their primer…Ladies, I kid you not, a Smashbox Primer is a must have! It’s great as base and controls shines like no other primer.

Minimum Price: RM 167 / $ 45.49Where to buy: Sephora stores

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5.MAKE UP FOREVER Foundation

I’ve never tried this brand but while in Sephora I noticed they do have dark foundations. So I would love to hear from you ladies what you think of it. They also have foundation palettes so if you are a makeup artist this might interest you. You don’t have to buy separate bottles and you get to save a few bucks by getting the palette.

Honestly thanks to Sephora, finding a foundation I like here in Malaysia is not as hard. The catch is that most of these are all high end brands that are a bit costly for a student’s budget. Once in a while I would like to go to Jusco, Sasa or Watson and leave with a super awesome foundation for my skin tone…but oh well, it is what it is :) !

PS: Let me know if you want to hear more about the NC vs NW bit, I know it can be a bit confusing.